Nightmares of Nature is a bold experiment as it’s a mix of documentary and anthology. Going through it, you will see some crucial moments of “survival of the fittest” in the wild, but it's equally amusing to see that a haunted backdrop has been given to a documentary based on the animal kingdom. It is a bit difficult to describe what happens in this documentary, as it feels like multiple clips of a wildlife photographer have been combined into a single narrative. So, we will get to see a mouse trying to survive in a forest, followed by a game of hide and seek between a snake and a raccoon. These creatures are our central characters. This will be followed by tadpoles making it into adulthood. You will see the hunting habits of a raccoon. There is an abandoned cabin in the woods, which these animals have now inhabited as their mode of survival. The mouse has given birth to babies, while the raccoon continues its stride for survival. And honestly, the rest of the documentary is this only. We see the natural lifecycle of animals in the wild. Now here is one thing that we need to understand, by wild we won’t typically see tigers, zebras, etc., we see the other type, the ones shown here.
Now, rather than being informative, I found it funny. Funny because it tries to create an eerie feeling in us. No, it isn’t palpitation. It is more ominous as the creatures shown here are in a constant tussle for survival. If they aren’t alert, they will be eaten. As such, there is no story, though they tried to create one by making the documentary revolve around the raccoon and the mouse. But even with that, there is nothing to see.
A forewarning that I would like to issue to my readers: if you aren’t comfortable watching snakes, alligators, and their offspring, then kindly don’t watch it. I had a hard time watching it because I get chills whenever I see snakes. This was very hard for me, and I somehow made it towards the end. So if you are someone who is like me, there are 100% chances of you feeling uncomfortable or worse, even puking. Hence, there is no harm in passing it as visually, but it can leave you uneasy.
But for those of us who are intrigued by the animal kingdom, this is a good watch. You get a straightforward exploration of what goes on in the wild. It is pure and clear. A whole lifecycle is shown to us. And if you like that, I am sure the haunting background and the narration won’t be an issue for you either. However, it is very rare for others to like it. Only a true student of the animal kingdom or a wildlife photographer will love it. For most of us, this might not be the best watch.
Final Score- [6/10]
Reviewed by - Neerja Choudhuri
Follow @NeerjaCH on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times